Wednesday 23rd May (2018) represents a golden anniversary on the north coast.

Fusco’s of Whitby, the family-owned business behind four of Yorkshire’s top fish and chips restaurants and takeaways, today celebrated reaching 50 years in business in Whitby.

To mark the occasion, the Fusco family held a celebratory luncheon at the Royal Fisheries, in Baxtergate, the oldest of the company’s four fish and chip restaurants.

Carol Fusco, the owner, toasted the occasion with a champagne reception and fish and chip lunch, followed by the cutting of the Golden anniversary cake. She was joined by Whitby Town Mayor, Rebecca Pearson, Ward Councillor, Joseph Plant, and the President of the National Federation of Fish Friers, Andrew Crook. Scarborough TV News was in attendance.

In an emotional speech, in which she thanked all her family and staff for their dedication and commitment, she recounted how Fusco’s Fish and Chips was originally founded in 1956 by her parents-in-law, Violet and Dennis Fusco, in Pickering. The family made a bold move to Whitby, in 1968, purchased Royal Fisheries and launched Fusco’s of Whitby. Carol married Peter and they took over the business from his parents in 1979. Twenty years later, ‘after a lot of blood, sweat and tears,’ the company invested in a second outlet, Quayside, now run by their son, Stuart. In April 2013 it became the first fish and chip shop in Yorkshire to get the prestigious Marine Stewardship Council stamp of approval that the fish it serves is sustainably sourced. In March of this year, it was also awarded a place on Fry Magazine’s list of the UK’s Top Ten Fish and Chip Restaurants.

They later further expanded into the two Fish Box businesses, in Whitby and Robin Hood’s Bay, express-style fish and chip cafes, for takeaway food or eating inside or out. ‘As the family’s grown, the business has expanded with them,’ she said, with pride, detailing some of the numerous awards picked over the years, including Quayside Takeaway winning the much coveted U.K. Fish & Chip Shop of the Year award in 2014.

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To a round of applause, she brought her speech to an end: ‘We are proud to be one of Whitby’s longest established fish and chip businesses and now we look forward to serving local residents and tourists to the area for the next five decades!’

Fusco’s have some exciting plans for their restaurants in the coming months and are investing in refurbishment and in establishing a new production unit. They are immensely proud of their longevity - and their fine reputation, which has grown since 2015 and the acquisition of a Catering Trailer, a mobile high capacity catering unit which allows them to produce exceptional quality fish and chips in any location.

To mark their anniversary, the company has launched a new competition. Anyone purchasing a meal from the Royal Fisheries takeaway on any Friday from May 25th, will receive one of 3,000 scratch cards with the chance to win a meal for four in the restaurant, plus other prizes.

The company is clearly not resting on its laurels but planning for the future, short and long-term. They look set fair for another fifty years.

Fusco’s Celebrates 50 Years Of Serving Fish And Chips In Whitby, 24th May 2018, 9:51 AM